Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-09-16
SPEECH OF HON. A. R. BOTELER,
BEFORE THE WASHINGTON SHIPPIN
LEAGUE CONVENTION.


THE CONVENTION: When | had the hon
or to receive the invitation which has
summoned me to your presence, graced,
as it was, sir, by the kind and courteous
words of your accomplished Secretary
on the part of its Executive Committee,
feltitto be a duty to accept it, although
conscious at the time that was incur
ring the hazards Of a somewhat rash en-
gagement, because of the claims of other
matters upon my time and attention.
But, sir. | could not find it in my heart
to forego so favorable an opportunity to
present to an intelligent assemblage OF
gentlemen interested in the shipping in
terest of our country some historic facts
bearing upon that interest with regard
to the origin of steam navigation, which
has been so important factor in the de-
velopment OF the shipping interests OF
the world. In doing this must confess
to you that | have been actuated also by
81 utSIIt W NllluICdlt bClOl Z SuCtl tll as
semblage rs this | see before me, the
claim of my native State of West Nir-
ginia to an honor which, | respectfully
submit, rightfully belongs to her; and
at the same time, TO do an act Of justice
TO the memory Of a modest and merito-
riouS benefactor of his race, whose name
and fame have alike been left too long
"to dumb forgetfulness a prey"-a
name, sir, which am sure is not unfa-
miliar to all who are here assembled. |
allude to James Rumsey, the inventor
of the steamboat. (Applause). And
sir, hold myself prepared to show by
proofs which certainly should be ac-
cepted, that he was the originator of
steam navigation in our country; and
the world at large will, as ! believe,
hereafter admit that he was the Origina-
tor of steam navigation of the world.
(Applause).
Now, sir, this may seem to some very
bold remark to make, but when | tell
you that twenty years before Robert
Fulton made his famous experiment
upon the Hudson which won for him
the glory of having made commercial
success of steam navigation | say twen-
ty years before that time, when | tell
you that James Rumsey, upon yOnder
bright and abounding river, Potomac,
made an equally successful experiment,
it will doubtless strike some of you here
with surprise. But such is the fact.
Fulton made his experiment in 1907, by
means of steam engine Imported from
England, built by Watt, the great inn
prover of the steam engine, at his works
at Soho. Rumsey made his with ma
chinery built by village blocksmiths Of
West Virginia. And the cOrollary to
be deducted from these facts is that if Il
man in West Virginia at a time when
there was not steam engine on the
continent of America, who had never
seen steam engine, could build steam
boats in 7s3, 1884 and l7SG, which ran
against the stream, with half their bur
den on board, at the rate of four miles
an hour, and make an exhibition of one
of them in 1877, in the presence of hun
dredS of men, women and children,
some of whom had national reputa-
toni say if he could do all this at that
period of our infant history, if ; could
do it in that portion Of our country
where there were no scientists, no ex-
perts and no one to help him at all
could evolve the whole idea of a steam
boat out Of his inner consciousness and
have it built 5y country mechanics so as
TO run successfully, what may not
Americans do at this advanced age in
building up the shipping interests of
our country and making it what it ought
to be-the first of all the world. Great
applauscl.
Now, sir. being here to-day at the re-
quest of gentlemen connected with that
great industry, simply TO tell this little
story, do not want to trespass upon
your attention, but hope in these few re-
marks to show you that what | have
stated can be sustained by proofs in my
possession. SO | will now tell the sim
pie story of James Rumsey.
He was born in Maryland, just before
the middle of the last century, in l747,
and went to Virginia before the RevO-
lutionary War. When the war broke
out, he entered the Continental army
and did goo service in behalf of Amer
lean independence. 1t is not known
exactly when the i,iea struck him Of APP
plying steam rs motive power to boats,
but there is petition of his yet eKtant,
i'm The archives of the Legislature OF Ma
ryland-the original petition-which
was read before the Legislature of Mary
land on the llth of November, l1o3. and
"referreG to the next meeting Of the
General Assembly," which begins by
setting forth Il have copy of 1t here if
you desire to see III that '.your petition
er having for several years past devot-
ed his attention TO a plan Of moving
boats BY the application OF steam as Il
motive power" etc. So that we may
fairly infer from that petition tthe orig
inal of which exists aud which has been
printed under Government auspices,
a copy of which you will find in the
Patent Once Report, 1870. and to
which petition is appended the oertifi-
cate of Nicholas Watkins, who was at